Is the end of Operation Yellow Pieces near?

According to a study by the Banque de France, cash is used in only one in five purchases. At the time of the launch of Operation Yellow Coins, one might think that this collection is doomed. However, the Hospital Foundation, which organizes it, ensures that it renews its practices to adapt to new uses.

The years pass and the event remains anchored in the minds of the French. This Wednesday, January 8, the Hospital Foundation is launching a new edition of Operation Yellow Pieces. For a month, collections are organized throughout France to collect as many donations as possible. The objective is to finance projects aimed at improving the lives of families and hospitalized children.

In the collective imagination, this collection is associated with the famous yellow piggy bank. According to the fourth barometer of the Monnaie de Paris on “attachment to coins”, cash is “a fundamental landmark in the daily life of the French.” On the other hand, this report states that cash payment is down slightly. Therefore, we can wonder if this operation is still viable.

“LThe French are always so generous. The yellow pieces have not disappeared,” says Marion Cinelli, director of the Hospital Foundation. She takes the last two years as an example, during which volunteers managed to raise between one million and 1.2 million euros in cash donations.

“We consider that this collection amount is a little higher than that before COVID,” she adds. She nevertheless concedes that the Hospital Foundation has adapted to new habits to attract younger donors. "The average age of those who give is that of parents and grandparents," she explains.

In 2021, the yellow coins operation went digital by offering the possibility of making donations online, by bank card or SMS, as well as through rounding up at checkout in partner stores. Three years later, Marion Cinelli explains that, of the 5 million euros collected, the ratio between these payments and those made in cash is one to three.

The organization didn’t stop there. This year, it decided to expand online donations by integrating two applications: Apple Pay and PayPal. According to a study carried out by Statista Consumer Insights in December 2023, these two services dominate the internet payments market. In addition, 56% of 18-25 year olds say they prefer to pay with a phone when they are in store.

Marion Cinelli believes that he “It’s always important to be present everywhere to be able to collect money.” She also ensures that the symbolic piggy bank of Operation Yellow Coins is in high demand. “We removed it at the time of Covid and we noticed that our partners were missing it. Since 2023, we have manufactured two million of them.”

Since its beginnings in 1989, the Foundation has been able to finance more than 10,000 projects thanks to the money collected during this operation. More than 204 million euros have been invested. This directly made it possible to finance environments dedicated to young people in need or play and leisure spaces.